Calm before the storm

Rose had run upstairs to the bathroom, wondering if Alec would come after her or if he didn't know what to say or do. She heard a tap on the door and his aunt calling her name.

"Rose, come out and talk to me."

Rose thought she'd best do as asked.

"Rose, tell me the truth now. Did you lead Bob to think you and Alec have a sexual relationship?"

Rose nodded. "Even my mum's never asked me that. You know I love Alec but we behave ourselves, his dad laid down some rules. Bob just assumed we are, you know. What the hell was he tryin' to get me involved in?"

"I don't know Rose. Whatever it is, it needs reporting to child services. You may be almost sixteen but even so, there are others around your age involved."

"He'll throw my mum out, I know he will. Has he been using her to get to me?" Rose asked.

"Yes, we think he picked her out as an easy target and she knows no better. Has she made any more agreements with him?"

"Only what I told you. What if he gets her to sign something? Can he stop me leaving home?"

"Rose, I wish I knew dear but she may not know what he has planned. You're coming to stay with us the next holidays, why not stay weekends until then?"

"Would you mind?" Rose asked her.

"Let John go see your mother and see what she knows of Bob's plans. If he can talk to her, she can refuse to go along with what Bob has planned. There's still the question of if we're right about this though. Everything Bob has done so far could be part of these plans."

"To get me worried?" Rose wanted to know. "Why do that though?"

"I wish I knew. Now come downstairs, Alec's worried about you. He cares a great deal about you Rose, we know he loves you. Just you both be careful, you're both young and wanting to try things. Be honest with me, are you taking anything, in case you are tempted?"

Rose wondered if she already knew.

"Yeah, I got my mum to take me to the clinic a while ago. You already know, don't you?"

"Yes Rose, I thought you would be sensible and the two of you would be already getting around to it. When you come to stay, I expect you both to respect the fact that Alec does not stay in your room for long and whatever his dad has said about it, the same goes here."

"Yeah, we accept that," Rose agreed. "I just want to get out of there, as soon as I can. So can I stay from tomorrow until next Sunday?"

Alec's aunt saw the worried look on Rose's face.

"Yes, no doubt Alec will walk you home next Sunday? Then you can stay the next few weekends, unless you're staying at his house?"

"Oh, I think I can stay when it's my birthday. I don't know what Alec's got planned though, he'll be trying to do better than I did, taking him to that concert."

"Yes, no doubt he will have roped his cousin into it? Now, go talk to John about him going to see your mother."

Once back downstairs, Alec went up to her and put his arms around her.

"Sorry," Rose apologized.

"Don't be sorry Rose, we are all worried about you."

"I know. John, I'll tell my mum you'll be calling to see her when she gets home tomorrow, do ya want me to be there?"

"Let me talk to her first," John suggested. "She'll probably start asking Bob some questions."

That was what Rose was worried about and she would walk right into it when she got back.

"Does your mother know our phone number?" Alec's aunt asked her.

"I'll give her it before I leave in the morning. If she wants to talk, I'll go back later but before Bob gets home. You'll come with me, won't you Alec?"

"You know I will Rose. We should get this out of the way and find out what Bob wants her to do."

"Yeah Cous, you can play detective," John joked.

They all saw the funny side and left the two of them alone.

"Sorry I ran off," Rose told him, leaning into him while he kissed the top of her head.

"It's fine Rose, don't worry. Let John deal with your mother, he may even go back and talk to Bob."

"No, I don't want him to Alec, I don't want him to get into any trouble, we've no idea what Bob's into. He could tell his friends that someone else knows. Geez Alec, there's gonna be so much trouble."

"We don't know that yet Rose. You'll be out of there next week and for good soon, just focus on that."

Alec finally walked her home after John told her what time he'd go see her mother.

"There's nothing to worry about," Alec was trying to tell her as they went up in the lift.

"Yeah, I know I can trust John, it's just I don't know how my mother will take it."

Rose said nothing to her mother about it and went to her room to start packing. Her mother knocked on the door.

A while earlier, Bob had finished complaining Rose was never at home as their friends were due.

"I told ya she was leaving Bob," Jackie reminded him.

That was what was bothering him.

"We talked about that Jackie, I thought you'd maybe get her to change her mind."

"She's made it up Bob, I know she has."

"She thinks leaving home will be easy?" Bob asked her.

"That's why she's staying with Alec's aunt," Jackie replied.

"Well, that's not really leaving home Jackie, what's the point eh? Does she think it will be that easy when she really leaves?"

"I don't know Bob. I don't want her to leave either ya know?"

"Then talk her out of it before it's too late."

Now, Jackie was standing in Rose's bedroom doorway.

"So, you're going off again? If ya wanna move out Rose, why go there? You may as well stay here."

"I can't Mum and ya know why. I'd feel more comfortable there. I'll call in next weekend, for my birthday though. Me and Alec will come round Sunday morning, okay?"

There was no way they were going round on Saturday night, that was for certain.

"I suppose I'll have to make do with that then? Can't ya even be here on ya birthday sweetheart?"

"I'm sorry Mum, I really am but no, your friends will be here and I just can't face them, even with Alec here."

"They're just friends Rose. I'll get ya something nice, for your sixteenth then? What's Alec gettin' ya?"

"I don't know but he's taking me out, I'm looking forward to it Mum. We're having a bit of a party at his aunt's next Sunday."

"You could have a party here, on Saturday night," her mother offered.

"With all your friends here? No thanks Mum."

Rose shivered at the thought of Bob inviting them all. That was what she was trying to get away from.

"Mum, by the way, one of my teachers might come and see you tomorrow, when ya get home from work."

"What? Why's one of ya teachers coming to see me? What about Rose? I thought ya were catchin' up at school?"

"I am Mum, Alec's been really good at helping me, I wish I hadn't messed about at my last school but since I've been at this one, I wanted to catch up. Alec said I've done really well learning Scottish history and geography. Last holiday, we learned a lot about the Loch Ness monster and I was the only one to answer questions in class, well Alec knew too but I beat him to it," Rose smiled as she remembered him teasing her about it.

"Well, which teacher is it? Are ya still messin' around in some of them? I don't know how many letters I used to get from your old teachers, especially your science and maths teachers."

"No, I'm doing well with them, thanks to Alec but it's my science teacher who's coming to see ya. Mum, I told him a few things, about how I feel when Bob's friends are here. You never listened to me and Alec said I should talk to someone about it."

Her mother opened her mouth but nothing came out, which was a change for her, Rose thought.

"Rose, how could you? What did you tell he or she?"

"It's a male teacher, Doctor Smith, he takes history as well. He saw how miserable I was, before Bob started letting me go out with Alec."

"Why has he got involved though? Don't tell me teachers come round just for that?" her mother asked. "What aren't ya telling me Rose?"

"Mum, well, Alec's family have made me feel more comfortable than staying in with Bob's weird friends. Well how about Alec's older cousin coming to see ya?"

"I still don't know why," her mother replied.

Rose thought it would be better John explaining he was their teacher as well as Alec's cousin. Just then, she heard Bob calling her mother.

"Jackie, have you got lost out there?"

Rose thought it was just typical. She'd come back early to pack and warn her mother she'd be getting a visitor tomorrow and they were having a conversation without Bob being involved.

"Is Rose there?" Bob added, Rose thinking she'd got away with it.

"Stay in your room Rose," her mother warned her. "Jimmy and his parents are in there."

"What?" Rose asked. "Why didn't ya tell me?"

"I'm tellin' ya now Rose, just go inside."

Jackie had just got in the kitchen when Bob went looking for her.

"Did Rose come back?" he asked her.

"Yeah, she went straight to her room, she's packing for tomorrow," she told him.

"You should have brought her into the lounge Jackie, that was the point in them coming round on a Sunday night and all Rose does is sneak into her room and you never say anything. If I didn't know better Jackie, I'd think you were trying to avoid why they are here."

"I'm not Bob, it was just Rose, she wanted to get packed."

Bob mumbled something as he left, Jackie not quite making it out but it sounded like Rose wouldn't get away with it next Sunday, with it being her birthday. She wondered what he meant but still wasn't sure about meeting Alec's cousin or their teacher. Then she wondered if they were the same person.

Rose had mentioned Alec's cousin a few times, he took them places when they were going out and she'd said he walked her back with Alec when they were out late. Well if he was their teacher, why was it such a secret, unless the school didn't know about it?

Bob had gone back in the living room.

"So, was that Rose coming in?" Jimmy's mother wanted to know.

"Yes, Jackie never told me, Rose went to her room. She's spending next week with some friends," Bob admitted. "I'm going to tell her she's grounded next Saturday night so you all come round then."

"Bob you keep saying that," Jimmy's dad reminded him. "If you can't keep your end of the bargain, well after next Saturday, that's it, it'll be too late. Jimmy's already had his birthday, you said everything would be arranged when it was Rose's."

Bob thought he didn't need reminding of the fact he'd failed to get Rose to be here when they were. Well, he'd have to be more forceful next weekend and if he failed, he'd have to do something about it the following weekend, since he'd be working away for a few days the week after next.

Why had that fool of a foreman messed up and was taking his holiday just as a big project was happening in Aberdeen and he had to go instead? It was too far so he'd have to stay over, he'd not told Jackie yet but the way things were going, he was now regretting choosing her out of all the other single mothers while he'd been working on their estate.

He knew Jackie was avoiding him as she still hadn't re-joined them. Jimmy was sat on the edge of his seat and Bob knew the teenager was getting impatient and had been annoyed ever since the time Rose had told him she wouldn't go near him. He wasn't going to be excluded permanently though and Rose had made him want to bring her and Jackie to live with him and he'd been right, in the last few years, she had grown up nicely and though she'd not admitted it, she'd had experience.

"Yes, I know what I promised," Bob replied. "I've got an idea how to get her to stay next Sunday, just wait and see."

He was thinking just wait until the letter arrived tomorrow of what he'd told the solicitor he wanted included in the agreement he'd talked about with Jackie.

When Alec and his dad had got home, Alec was asked how Rose had been when he'd taken her home.

"She was nervous," Alec admitted. "About if she'd manage to get in without being seen. I hope she does. So can she stay over next Saturday night?"

"I don't see why not. Does she know where you're taking her? Will you get in?"

"I hope so, if not it will be the cinema again and I wanted to take her dancing. I hope she likes the present I got her."

"I'm sure she will Alec, you took enough time choosing it," his dad laughed. "So, how do you think her mother will react to John talking to her?"

"I don't know how she will take it. Maybe whatever Bob had planned will all be over if Rose is not there next weekend? She only has to go home late again and stay out of their way. Just a few more weeks and she will be out."

His dad knew they'd all be relieved when she was safely out but how would Bob react? The next morning, Rose was waiting for Alec to help her with her things and Bob was hanging around the kitchen pointing out that she should be using the holiday to clean up the flat and do odd jobs for her mother.

"I'll come back tonight and clean up," Rose told him.

"Well make sure you do then. Jackie, we have to talk when I get home."

"Yeah, okay Bob, what about?"

He waited until Rose left the table.

"I'm expecting a letter today, what we talked about."

"Oh. Well yeah, we'll do that."

She just hoped Rose's teacher would be gone by the time he did get home. Just as Bob left, Jackie went to ask Rose about it.

"So, is he Alec's cousin then, this teacher?"

"I didn't want to say Mum, I didn't want to get him into any trouble at school. No-one there knows."

"How have they not noticed?"

"We've no idea mum, they just haven't. Just listen to him, please?"

Alec arrived just after nine and helped Rose downstairs with a case and a shoulder bag.

"I should have packed my school uniform," Rose smiled while they were in the lift. "I promised my mum to be back so she can give me my birthday present and I have to go back tonight and clean up a bit for her."

"You won't be long will you?" Alec asked nervously, thinking she was backing out of staying at his aunt's house.

"Aw, will ya miss me?" she teased him.

"I'm just worried about you, if Bob gets home before you leave. Why don't you go early, while John's there?" he suggested.

They went to get Rose settled in at his aunts, then went to his house. Once in his room, Rose went for his t-shirt.

"I miss ya over the weekend Alec."

"I miss you too. I wish there was a way we could get around it. Even when we get older, my dad will still have the same rules."

"Maybe we can get round them by sneaking upstairs to the room I use?"

"He'll find out Rose," he replied as he pushed her on the bed.

"My mum and Bob go out, we could sneak round there?" Rose wondered.

"What about when you move out Rose? He might take your key back."

"Yeah, I expect he will. I guess we'll just have to make do and make up for in on Mondays," she teased him by pulling on his jeans. "Your aunt knows, she warned us to be careful. She said the same rules apply at her house, while I'm staying there."

"I guessed as much. We'll just have to go to the woods and make do with kissing?" he suggested.

"Yeah, until next winter. Are ya coming round while John's there later? Mum knows he's your cousin."

"No, I'd best not. Are we going to stop talking now?" he asked as he pulled on her jeans.

Rose was back just before her mother and started cleaning the kitchen and wondering what her mother would do once she moved out. She'd seen some letters in the mesh box behind the letterbox and put them on the kitchen table, noting one envelope had a law firm heading. Now she was worried Bob was going to do something drastic to make her stay.

Just after her mother got home, the buzzer went, Rose going to answer it even though she knew who it would be.

"Hi Rose, you were expecting me," John told her.

Rose opened the door and let him in.

"Hello, you must be Rose's mum," John greeted Jackie, shaking her hand. "You know why I'm here?"

"Yeah, though why my Rose went to you, I don't know," Jackie replied.

"She's worried Mrs Tyler. She told me about the friends you have round, that Bob is pushing at her to stay when she doesn't want to. I can only guess he wants her to be friendly with the boy that comes round? He does know about Alec?" John asked her.

"Yeah, he does but they're his friends, the others that used to come round stopped. Jimmy's parents made some sort of arrangement with him, I don't know what it is."

"Mum, ya can see where it's going," Rose tried to tell her.

"Rose is right Mrs Tyler," John agreed. "Think about it and ask him. Rose is right, wanting to leave home, she doesn't feel safe."

"Oi, what ya mean she doesn't feel safe? I'm here, aren t I?" Jackie asked indignantly.

"Yes but do you know what they are planning?" John asked her. "You might be here when they are but why are they pushing her towards that boy?"

"I think you should go, before Bob gets back," Jackie told him.

"Promise me Rose will be safe until she moves out," John asked her.

"I'd never let anything happen to her," Jackie insisted. "I don't know what she's been telling ya."

"Rose, are you leaving now?" John asked her. "I'll walk you over to Alec's house."

"So, you are his cousin?" Jackie asked him.

"Yes Mrs Tyler but I'm also their teacher and as Rose's teacher, I had to express my concern, now she's getting older. I need your assurance you'll let her leave home after her birthday."

"Bob might object," Jackie almost whispered. "I told him Rose was determined to leave. I'll not stop her though."

"Rose said you had an informal arrangement about her. I hope it stays informal," John replied as Rose signaled she was ready to leave.

"Rose," her mother called after her. "We'll see ya at the weekend, won't we?"

"Yes Mum, I'll be back with Alec but I won't be staying so ya may as well tell Bob."

Once Rose and John got downstairs, Rose waited until they got to the end of the street as she didn't want Bob to see them.

"Are you okay Rose?" John asked her.

"No. Do ya think that will have done any good?"

"We can only hope so Rose. Try not to worry eh?" John tried to assure her.

Little did they know it was the calm before the storm.